Von woke early and again enjoyed a hot bath. He was excited and wanted to continue to learn about tanning, not because he wanted to be a tanner, but because of his progress yesterday. According to his "system," he was only two hours away from one hundred experience points and he was extremely curious to see what happened when he got to one hundred. When he reached the threshold in combat, he gained an attribute point, maybe the same would be true again.
Monica awoke as he attempted to slip quietly into the room returning from his bath. She stirred slowly as climbing out of a warm comfortable bed away from the best sleep she'd had in weeks was practically torturous. "'morning, V. Why are you up so early? The sun's not even high yet."
"I wanted to get a fresh start to the day. I've been bedridden and off my feet much too long lately. If we're lucky, we might be able to earn a few more coins scraping the leather."
"I understand, V. Um, about those coins, did you look at them? I've never seen any coins like them before. They look like metal, but don't feel like it and they don't make the right noises when dropped."
Opening the pouch of coins, the two of them examined them, there appeared to be numbers on some of them. The brass-looking round ones with the holes had a number one on each of them and a depiction of a strange lizard under the hole. The triangular ones were a greenish grey color and had the number ten on them with images of various birds on the back. The square ones were larger yet with the number one hundred on the front and the picture of a town, much like Sungrove on the back.
The next ones had no numbers but were larger than the others. The extremely light silver one looked like a quarter of a pie had no numbers but instead, images of weapons adorned the front and a suit of plate armor on the back. The next was a round coin which looked like everyday gold, but unlike a regal, there was no crown, nor castle. The images on these were round circles touching each other on the front and back all the way to the edge. It was with these "rounds" they had paid for the room, food, and bath last night. Finally, the diamond-shaped coin. It was the largest from end to end and depicted a strange map on the front and back having different land masses which seemed to almost continue from the opposite side. These large diamond coins seem to have some sort of almost magical hum to them when held that feels somewhat calming.
These coins were completely different than anything the two had ever seen, of course, they were only familiar with coins from Khehep and the two nearby kingdoms. Those coins were all easily recognized by their materials: iron, bronze, copper, silver, and gold. These were something else, despite the bog being near the center of Khehep. Placing the coins back into the pouch, they both wondered why they were so different, and how they even got here.
"We can ask Grimdon when we see him soon," suggested Von. "First, let's get breakfast."
New scents filled the air as the two came down the steps and returned their key. "Thistle, is breakfast included with the room?" inquired Monica.
"Breakfast, no. It's a favorite of the locals. Two 'tens will get the two of you the Dawn's Bounty Platter, if you're hungry," he replied. Looking at their coins and remembering the triangular coins, she pulled out two of the six she had within the pouch. Thistle gestured towards the common dining area from last night.
"Do we have to tell anyone what we want?" She asked.
Thistle smiled as if knowing an inside joke. "No, the only thing we serve on Queen's Day is the Dawn's Bounty Platter. Someone will be along soon."
"Thank you." The two said together. Entering the common dining area, it was nearly packed compared to last night. Besides humans, a plethora of strange creatures were dining, elves, dwarves, gnomes, halflings, and several creatures who appeared to be a combination of beasts and men. All of them seemed friendly and most were completely absorbed in their meals.
Soon after sitting, a young gnome boy brought over two tankards of some sort of aromatic concoction reminding them vaguely of tea. "You're new here, so I'll tell you about our platter. We have several courses so the food will last you the whole day. First is the Hearthside Porridge. It's made from locally harvested grains, slow cooked to perfection in a cast-iron pot over the inn's hearth, then infused with the natural sweetness of dried berries and nuts, to provide sustenance for the day ahead. accompanying this we have our succulent wild game sausages, crafted from meats sourced from the Bonechill's surrounding wilderness. Seasoned with aromatic herbs and spices, these sausages are grilled to a smoky perfection, offering a taste of the untamed bounty of Sungrove. Savor slices of Stoneground Bread, freshly baked in the inn's hearth, served with a generous dollop of Nut Butter made from locally gathered nuts. Lastly, you can delight in our Foraged Berry Compote, a vibrant medley of berries handpicked from the lush surroundings of the Bonechill Bog. The compote, sweetened with honey from Sungrove's buzzing hives, serves as a delightful accompaniment to the porridge and bread."
With these words, the young gnome disappeared into the kitchen bringing back a large wooden platter for each of them, one balanced on each hand. He delicately placed the food laden platter in front of them and refilled their tea. Spreading the nutty spread on the toast, Monica thought the flavor paired perfectly with both the crusty exterior and soft interior. The two of them delighted in every morsel, and despite having worked up quite the appetite, there was still food remaining.
Having filled their stomachs, the two of them thanked the young gnome and Thistle as they took one last look around. As the two left the inn, they thought about the comfort it provided knowing they would soon be trudging back through the swamp later today. Perhaps one day they would return, but they weren't particularly excited about the land surround the town held in order to return to this wonderful inn.
Strolling through the stone streets of Sungrove, the two of them enjoyed the strange and mystical energies that seemed to permeate the air. The town's vibrant marketplace beckoned with a kaleidoscope of colors, and the whispers of the Bonechill Bog seemed to guide them towards intriguing shops. As they explored, the sights, sounds, and scents of Sungrove unfolded before the two of them.
Instead of turning directly toward the smithy, they chose to look around a little more. They shop next to Bog Haven was a quaint bookstore. It was called the Ornate Inkpot. The building, as most buildings in Sungrove were, was built out of stone blocks held together with strong mortar and possibly magic. As the two entered, a small bell chimed directly above the door alerting those within of new customers.
The air inside the bookstore carried the comforting scent of old parchment and enchanted inks. Throughout the store, soft lighting emanated from small crystals casting a warm glow over the wooden bookshelves lining the walls. Tapestries depicting scenes of tranquil locations and lost lore adorned the space, creating an atmosphere of timeless wisdom and comfort.
An assortment of leather-bound books, grimoires, scrolls, and magical manuscripts filled the shelves. Large tomes held the accumulated knowledge of ages. While some books, likely magical in nature, were adorned with runes and sigils along the spines, promising hidden secrets to those who dared to delve into their pages. Dust motes danced through the air in the rays of the morning sun as the pair perused the titles, each book seemingly whispering forgotten incantations.
Looking around, they spied reading nooks scattered throughout the shop. Each of these was furnished with plush cushions and illuminated by softly glowing orbs suspended from the ceiling. Inside these cozy alcoves, scholars hunched over open books, their quills scratching notes onto parchment as they unraveled these written mysteries.
A human figure with a stubbly beard and symbols of water on their robes sat at one of these nooks, surrounded by open tomes and scribbling notes in a well-worn grimoire occasionally muttering incantations under his breath to check and see if the results were as predicted.
In the next cranny a middle-aged halfling woman with stained fingers smelling strongly of herbs sat perusing a collection of texts dedicated to alchemical studies while occasionally pulling out small bottles from her robes, examining the books, then jotting notes onto the center of a scroll of parchment rolled on both ends. After jotting these notes, she sprinkled powder onto the scroll from a small box in the nook. Upon waiting about a few minutes, she would dump the powder into a second box before rolling the written part into the top and unrolling more of the bottom.
On the far side of the shop, a lovely half elven woman with a lute slung over her shoulder catching in her long blond hair stood browsing through volumes of poetry and songs. As she found inspiration for her next performance, her golden eyes would light up and she would begin softly humming then singing melodies created from this new revelation.
As intriguing as the shop was, the two thought about it and determined there really wasn't much there for the two of them. Once they left the shop, Von wanted to try to gain more experience in tanning, while Monica wanted to shop around a little longer. They agreed to go their own way for a while and meet up at the Wyvern's Scale Amory around midmorning.